Cedar Springs Farm in Galatia, Illinois is not only home to the Barnes family, but it is also the center of a breeding operation, tax business, horse training operation and a family’s vision.

Priscilla Barnes was familiar with farm life growing up. The only daughter of W.B. and Fern Pulliam, she was always fascinated by her father’s two work horses.

Once the horses were replaced with mechanical farm equipment, Priscilla was awarded her first pony.

“The ponies I had over the years were my best friends,” she admits.”I even dressed them up in people clothes.”

At the age of 13 Priscilla met Curtis Barnes when his family moved to Galatia for his father to preach at their local country church. Six years later, on June 18, 1966, Curtis and Priscilla were married.  The newlyweds lived in Sesser, Illinois, where Priscilla worked as an accountant and Curtis was a school teacher.

In 1973, a farm located just across the road from where Priscilla grew up was offered for sale. Curtis and Priscilla packed up and moved back to Priscilla’s hometown of Galatia and purchased Cedar Springs Farm. A year later, the couple introduced their son, Timothy, to the world.

Priscilla stayed at home to raise her son while Curtis was teaching and attending law school. In May of 1984 Curtis graduated at the top of his class and that same year the couple built an office on Cedar Springs Farm to facilitate an income tax preparation and estate planning business they built together.

Despite working in different trades, Priscilla’s love for horses never faded. She recalls reaching out to their neighbor, an Appaloosa trainer, for help in finding her horses. One of the horses that they selected was SSP’S Misty, a finely-tuned 1979 ApHC show mare, by Shalako’s Plaudit and out of Roxy’s Little Sheba. In 1985 they decided to breed the mare to Sun Up Jack, a son of Two Eyed Jack. The resulting foal, Misty Eyed, would eventually carry Timothy Barnes to a Supreme Youth Championship, Non-Pro Supreme Championship, and six World Championships Trail. This was the beginning of a path of breeding for The Barnes Family.

During that time Priscilla says that she was captivated by the AQHA stallion Zippo Pine Bar, and knew that Appaloosas were able to outcross on Quarter Horses and obtain papers.

So in 1988, the Barnes family hauled SSP’S Misty, to Texas to breed to Zippo Pine Bar and the following year Zippos Misty Lady was born. “We knew we had something special in her,” Priscilla says of the foal.

Zippos Misty Lady was sent to Missouri trainer Jon Barry to start and the pair enjoyed victory after victory, including one in the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the 1991 World Show and the Appaloosa Pleasure Horse Association’s 2-Year-Old Futurity.

These days, Zippos Misty Lady is sharing a space in the Barnes  retirement pasture with Misty Eyed.

“Timothy is known to jump on Misty Eyed bareback from time to time for a spin around the pasture,” Priscilla says.

SSP’S Misty died at the age of 30, but she left quite a legacy, including 14 foals and induction into the Appaloosa Hall of Fame.

Priscilla says that she loves the process of choosing the stallions to breed to her mares. She says Timothy is a “a walking reference book” on the subject and they have lengthy discussions about their plans.

The Barnes family is very involved in showing and in the Appaloosa industry. Priscilla serves as a director of the Appaloosa Pleasure Horse Association and the family has horses competing at the highest level. All of their young horses that compete on a national level stay with and are trained by professional trainers.

Several of their western horses are with the Baker family in Olympia, Washington. Chocolate Lady Fingers is a two-time ApHC World Champion High Point Western Horse, shown by Monica Baker.

“We love the way they bring along a young horse,” Priscilla says. “They take such pride in their craft. They deeply care for the horse. They are not just about winning.”

In 2009 Bruce Vickery, Aubrey, Texas, showed Chex Me Im Cute to an AQHA World Championship in Junior Trail for the Barnes family and he currently has two of their 3-year old western horses in training.

“We like Bruce’s work ethic, his honesty and his talent,” Priscilla says.

The family also has hunters in training with Lisa Ligon, Pilot Point, Texas. Priscilla notes that the horse comes first with Ligdon, a quality she really respects.

As the 2014 season heats up, Curtis, Priscilla, and Timothy Barnes have plans for a full year. There are eight horses that Priscilla says that they are excited about showing this year, a combination of 2 and 3-year olds, competing in both the western and hunter events. The 2014 foaling and breeding season at Cedar Springs Farm is also packed with promise. They are awaiting a foal out of Misty Monroe by One Hot Krymsun and plan at least five breedings this season.

Priscilla describes their operation as unique. “It is very hard to classify us,” she says. “I have a sign hanging on my office door that reads ‘Abnormality is the Normality at this Locality.’” The uniqueness of Cedar Springs Farm has led the Barnes family to success in many areas; be it from their breeding operation, showing operation, or their on-site tax and law office.

The key to this success has been Priscilla’s love and passion for the animals.

“We want our show horses to do what they have natural talent for,” she insists. “Our trainers know that if a horse has to be forced to do something, then we do not move forward on that horse. That horse needs a job that it has the talent to do… We don’t try to make the horse into something it is not.”